Experimental Particle Physics - Student at U. Sussex (main)

The University of Sussex Experimental Particle Physics group plays a critically important role in a number of experiments at the frontiers of our knowledge of particle physics, with main involvement in: the ATLAS experiment and its upgrades at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, the SNO+ neutrinoless double beta decay experiment at SNOLAB (Canada), the NOvA and DUNE neutrino oscillation experiments at Fermilab (USA), and the Neutron EDM experiment at PSI (Switzerland).

 

A fully funded studentship on the SNO+ experiment supervised by Dr. Simon Peeters is available to UK and EU nationals for a September 2017 start. Funded studentships cover a tax-free bursary (£14,553 per annum in 2017/18) and home/EU fees for 3.5 years, as well as funding for research training and travel. Additional funding may also be available to support placements with outside partners for a further period of six months in total.

 

The SNO+ group at Sussex leads the overall calibration effort and is actively involved in several analysis groups: neutrinoless double-beta decay, supernova neutrinos, reactor neutrinos, as well as exotic physics searches in the water phase. The SNO+ experiment consists of three phases: a short six month water phase, followed by a similar length phase where the detector will be filled with pure liquid scintillator. These two phases are crucial to the calibration of the detector, but also present unique physics opportunities. After this, the main phase of SNO+ will start, where the scintillator is loaded with the double-beta decay element to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Observation of this process will give us unique insight in the fundamental properties of the neutrino particle. The successful candidate is expected to start during an exciting time: in the transition between water and pure scintillator, and will be expected to focus on the neutrinoless double-beta decay search. At the same time, he/she will spend a significant amount of time on the calibration of the experiment. This will put him/her in an ideal position to lead the analysis and optimise the detector's sensitivity to the possible discovery of neutrinoless double-beta decay.

 

Interviews of shortlisted candidates will be held from April 2017 and until the positions have been filled. 

 

For informal inquiries on academic matters, please contact Dr Clark Griffith (Sussex EPP PGR Admissions Tutor) at: W.C.Griffith@sussex.ac.uk. 

 

For practical questions about the application process and/or eligibility for funding, please contact: mpsresearchsupport@sussex.ac.uk.

Online applications at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply.

 

Please state in the Finance section of the online form that you are applying for STFC/Sussex funding.